Paris, South Dakota, summer 1976. Fifteen-year-old Lilly is crushed by the news that her mother's boyfriend will become her father, making her feel lonelier and more invisible than ever. That same morning, she runs into Lee, a handsome and mysterious stranger. It isn't long before she takes off with him, deeming it a grand adventure across the Great Plains. New Orleans, Louisiana, autumn 1992. Fifteen-year-old Lindsey has just learned that her father is not, in fact, dead-but will be shortly if the state of South Dakota has its way. As she and her mother embark on a long bus ride north, Lilly slowly opens up, revealing to her daughter the true story of her past: why she and Lee went on the run, how Lindsey came to be, and the reason Lee is about to be executed for a crime of passion. Independence is an evocative story of true love, youthful mistakes, desperation, and breath-taking betrayal.

Independence: A Novel

Balkan, Evan

Literature & Fiction

University of Wisconsin Press

Escape from the hustle and bustle of Washington, D.C. with this guide. John Fitzpatrick and Holly Burkhalter will help city dwellers and travelers discover great things to do outside the nation's capital. Watch wild ponies run free on Maryland's Assateague Island, tour America's chocolate capital or ride roller-coasters in Hershey, Pennsylvania; or take in a panoramic view of the Delaware coast at the Cape May Lighthouse.

Quick Escapes Washington, D.C.: Getaways from the Nation's Capital

Travel

Fitzpatrick, John

Burkhalter, Holly J.

United States

GPP Travel

Best Tent Camping: Maryland: Your Car-Camping Guide to Scenic Beauty, the Sounds of Nature, and an Escape from Civilization

Called America in Miniature” by National Geographic editor Gilbert Grosvenor, Maryland packs an extraordinary amount of natural diversity into a relatively small area. With the Atlantic Ocean in the east, Allegheny Mountains in the west, and the country’s largest estuarythe Chesapeake Baysplitting the state down the middle, any outdoors enthusiast finds a happy home in Maryland. Splitting the state into three distinct geographical regionsWestern Maryland, Central Maryland, and Southern Maryland/Eastern ShoreBest Tent Camping: Maryland, by Evan Balkan, will guide campers to 50 of the best campgrounds the state has to offer. Within these 50 profiles are campgrounds with every imaginable facility, as well as primitive campsites far from population centers and everything in between. For camping in Maryland, this is an indispensable guide.

Health, Fitness & Dieting

Menasha Ridge Press

Walking Baltimore includes Charm City's well-known neighborhoods -- Downtown, the Inner Harbor, Mount Vernon, and Fells Point. But in the voice of its insider author, the book also covers lesser-known and far-flung corners, revealing what makes Baltimore such a wonderful and fascinating destination and hometown. Full of little-known facts and trivia, this book shows how and why Baltimore was an essential player in the country's early history and continues to be influential today. Here is a city almost unparalleled in American history and it lives up to its modern reputation as a quirky, come-as-you-are and be-what-you'll-be place. The zany Baltimore-based film director John Waters (of Hairspray fame) summed it up best when he said, "It's as if every freak in the South was headed to New York City, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay."

Walking Baltimore: An Insider's Guide to 33 Historic Neighborhoods, Waterfront Districts, and Hidden Treasures in Charm City

Exercise & Fitness

Wilderness Press

Penelope Pine

Penelope Pine is a delightful story that teaches young readers to be happy with who they are! Penelope is a pine tree. She lives in the forest with oaks, poplars, and maples, and enjoys playing with her tree friends. But when autumn rolls around and her friends turn beautiful colors, Penelope the evergreen believes that she doesn’t measure up. But when winter comes and her friends are suddenly very cold without their leaves, Penelope learns that she is perfect just the way she is. The story was crafted by the daughter and father team of Amelia and Evan Balkan.

Children's Books

Balkan, Amelia

Histria Kids

Penelope Pine is a delightful story that teaches young readers to be happy with who they are! Penelope is a pine tree. She lives in the forest with oaks, poplars, and maples, and enjoys playing with her tree friends. But when autumn rolls around and her friends turn beautiful colors, Penelope the evergreen believes that she doesn't measure up. But when winter comes and her friends are suddenly very cold without their leaves, Penelope learns that she is perfect just the way she is. The story was crafted by the daughter and father team of Amelia and Evan Balkan.

Baltimore, 1952 
With her father fighting in the Korean War, bigotry in her school, and the desire to play a “boy’s sport,” one girl struggles to find her place in the world.
Caroline Panski harbors one dream: to play ice hockey. But, as the neighborhood boys―and her mother―tell her: Boys play hockey; girls figure skate. Caroline, however, refuses to give up, and she navigates her world with determination. Knowing that her beloved father is fighting for freedom far away in Korea saddens her but also gives her strength. And when her school is integrated and she develops a crush on an African- American student, she will need strength and courage to stand up to her classmates just to be his friend. In the end, Caroline’s is a difficult and imperfect world, but one that allows for moments of triumph and friendship.

Spitfire

Treehouse Publishing Group

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Balkan, Evan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Balkan, Evan

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Balkan, Evan. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Independence: A Novel

Quick Escapes Washington, D.C.: Getaways from the Nation's Capital

Best Tent Camping: Maryland: Your Car-Camping Guide to Scenic Beauty, the Sounds of Nature, and an Escape from Civilization

Walking Baltimore: An Insider's Guide to 33 Historic Neighborhoods, Waterfront Districts, and Hidden Treasures in Charm City

Penelope Pine

Penelope Pine

Spitfire